Hermione Granger and the Seventh Year Adventure
by Sarah Alisa Perne
Summary: Hermione starts her 7th year w/a new attitude and look-vowing that this last year will be the best ever. Little does she know, it might go down in Hogwarts, a History-what w/ the shenanigans in the Prefects dorm, Voldemort, drama, late night adventures...
1. Vision in Blue

****I Do Not Own Anything. All Characters and Harry Potter things belong to J.K. Rowling!  
>******Enjoy:D<p>

P.S. _Remember to R&R if you want me to write faster and update more often!_

As always, there were hordes of people swarming Diagon Alley, preparing for the coming school year. Witches and wizards hustled from shop to shop, tugging along children and shopping bags. I tottered a bit on the cobblestones as I pushed my way through the crowd and headed for Gringotts. Looking around, I sighed in content at the familiarity. Everything about Diagon Alley was the same as I remembered it from years ago as an innocent, bushy-haired first-year. Old Mr. Ollivander still ran the wand shop and Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was dealing with a mob of shoppers hungry for the inventive new potions and products the twins had concocted. The only thing that was different was me. I had changed. A new Hermione Granger had arisen during the summer with a new and improved attitude to go with her.

I'd decided as soon as I'd gotten my first real job this summer, that things would be different during my last year at Hogwarts. No more Ms. Know-It-All. No more ugly, boring, predictable Hermione, was what I'd told myself. My new mission statement was to really, truly enjoy life and put more pride in myself. And maybe also to get a boyfriend...I mean, even pug-faced, snotty Pansy Parkinson was in a serious relationship. It was time to step things up. Its true-before now, there was no chance in hell I would have ever said that I cared about make-up, clothing, exercise, partying, or money. But with a few new additions to my beauty routine and a new interest in fashion, there were some definite changes in the way I viewed myself, inside and out. After all, you can still look presentable _and _be a bookworm.

Suddenly, two familiar figures were walking right towards me-Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan. I lifted my hand to wave but just as I did they passed without acknowledgement and faded into the crowd. After throwing them a puzzled look , I glanced down at my watch and hurried faster along the busy walkway between shops. It was odd that the two fellow students hadn't even noticed me. Is it possible they didn't recognize me? Just as I was pondering this and climbing up Gringotts' entrance steps, I bumped into Ron leaving the bank. He muttered an apology and blushed profusely before brushing past me.

"Ron!" I shouted, going after him and pulling him around for a hug. "_Hey_. It's great to see you." He fell into the hug like a confused rag doll and turned an even deeper shade of crimson.

"Urgh..." He gurgled, sophisticatedly. Then he pulled back to look at who was hugging him. Surprise was written all over his face as his jaw dropped and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Wha-..._Hermione_? Your hair...er-you're...wearing a _dress_..." His eyes scanned me with a mixed expression of disbelief and scrutiny and then he leveled his gaze back to mine. "Where is this job that you got?...Vogue?" Carefully, I looked down at my feet and tried to avoid his incredulous expression that gave me the feeling of a child that's been scolded.

"I...work for a man named Mr. Avery as his personal assistant. I thought it would be good to maybe change things up a bit. You know...with a real job and all." I fingered the periwinkle blue baby-doll dress I was wearing and then reached up to run a hand through my now-tame and rather luxurious hair. I hadn't expected to feel so shy and vulnerable in front of Ron. But his shock at my new look was more than I expected. I had just wanted to feel pretty and set the scene for a new me. Strike one for new, confident Hermione.

"You'll have to tell me all about it!" Ron turned back to go inside Gringotts with me. We went inside and got in line to see one of the Goblin tellers. I told him about old Mr. Avery and how he was a former ministry official and very wealthy, how handsomely he paid me, how I had resolved to be different-a better version of myself, and how I had taken a slight liking to some girlier things. It was just like old times, joking and laughing. I realized I hadn't been shy. There had just been some fear of rejection to my little make-over. But there was no need. I couldn't wait to find Harry and the rest of our friends. This was going to be an amazing year and I had an extra surprise for them all. I smiled secretively while reaching into my tote for the shiny prefect badge I had gotten via owl just yesterday.


	2. Bottled Up

"Ah, Hermione Granger. Here to make another deposit?" said the goblin teller at the desk when Ron and I had reached the front of the line. His name was Boudreaux and he had helped me countless times making paycheck deposits throughout the summer and getting me more acquainted with the wizarding bank. In all, he was about as close to friends as a goblin could get with a particular witch or wizard.

"No. Actually, I'm making a withdrawal from my account-and Mr. Avery's, also. I'm running a few errands for him. Here's his note…" With that, I handed him the signed letter Mr. Avery had instructed me to give to the teller; my boss was always extra-precautious when I needed to pick something up for him in Diagon Alley. Boudreaux regarded the letter as if it was the bloody knife from a crime scene and huffed with a note of slight annoyance as he read it through dusty spectacles. Finally, after a moment he grabbed a stamp from underneath the desk, marking the note with it and then beckoned us to follow him through a nearby passageway.

Twenty minutes later I left Gringotts with two bags of gold-one a small velvety pouch with a couple galleons in it for the stationary I was to pick up for Mr. Avery and one rather large leather sack(mine) filled with a month's salary's-worth of coins (a fairly decent amount for a before-school shopping spree). With almost a whole day left for fun, Ron and I split up. Ron went to the Emporium to send an owl to Harry, alerting him of our run-in at Diagon Alley and how he should join us. I went off to get the stationary and pick up school supplies.

Scribbulus Everchanging Inks was filled to the brim with students ordering extra parchment and ink for school. I slipped my way into the throng of customers, trying not to jostle a crowd of people to my left unscrewing small jars of Self-Coloring Ink. It took what seemed like hours and a few near misses with ink splatters to reach the back counter where they sold boxes of stationary behind the desk. When I did I let out a sigh of relief. I was filled with anticipation to join back up with Ron and get out of the over-heated store. A small, bow-legged old witch with a weathered face started to ring up my purchases, and I thought I had it made. Then she began wrapping up the stationary very slowly and then looked up at me with a crooked smile. Her wrinkled skin crinkled around her eyes until they disappeared.

"How much?" I said, hoping to speed her up.

"Nice day isn't it…" responded the old witch behind the counter, unaware of the millions of customers waiting behind me impatiently.

"Er-yes…How much is-" But before I could continue, the witch suddenly interrupted, deciding I was a worthy candidate to be told all about the intimate details of her life, starting with her dog.

"A dog is a person too-don' ya think? That's what I always say with my dog Hattie an' all. She's very loyal. On'y company I got now-a-day…" Immediately, I tuned her out for fear of having a heat stroke right then and there. Phew! It was sweltering in the tiny old shop with all of the bodies crowding around. But when she had finished, I nodded politely all the same and handed her some coins before making a beeline for the door.

By the time I sighted Ron, he was sitting at a table outside Flourish & Blotts talking animatedly with Harry, Neville, and Ginny-who happened to have already bought their schoolbooks inside. Five identical piles of textbooks lay out on the table.

"Hermione!" shouted Ginny, from her chair. "Over here!" She patted the seat next to her and everyone looked in my direction.

"Hey…we got your schoolbooks for you," said Neville, motioning to the fifth pile of books, his face turning a red so bright I thought he might start to go purple. Harry gawked for a second before getting up and giving me a welcoming hug.

"Hi!" I responded to everyone, beaming. "Man, there is so much to tell you!" I sat down next to Ginny and she turned to me in excitement.

"Yeah, like where you get your hair done-Hermione you look incredible!"

"Well, I've learned a few tricks over the summer-Oh my goodness! I just had the most horrid experience with the store clerk over at Scribbulus…" And then I told them all about my summer and how I'd been trapped over at the stuffy ink shop.

The rest of the day was a blast. Harry, Ron and I all bonded over ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and milled around the Apothecary with Ginny and Neville. At some point the boys ran into the Quidditch shop like a bunch of star struck giggling little girls. It was around that time that Ginny and I went to Madam Malkin's to get slightly more fashionable wardrobes (my treat). We had expensive alterations done to our school uniforms so that they were slightly more formfitting and had our names engraved near the Hogwarts crest on our robes. Their dress robes and casual clothing selections were even more fun; they came in every shape and size, decorating the walls and mannequins with a dazzling display of colors and glitter.

After trying on and modeling almost the whole store with Madam Malkin herself as the judge, we decided on a "few" items ranging from classic to racy. Ginny found some cute sparkly silver robes and I found midnight blue ones that brought out the blonde in my hair. There were also some cute muggle clothes and accessories, thrown in just for fun. Finally, we were done with clothing and skipped on over to the Beautifying Potions shop. Ginny was ecstatic about the things I had gotten for her as we walked through the store's shelves of potions.

"We are going to look amazingly fabulous this year-really. I. Can't. Wait! Thanks so much Hermione!" After throwing her an exasperated look, I said you're welcome for the hundredth time and Ginny smiled back as she plucked a small pink bottle from one of the shelves. I took one also-after all Ginny was notorious as one of the most-wanted girls at school and she could give me a pointer or two on attracting men. Boys weren't exactly my forte. The glittery pink bottle twinkled playfully in the light as I held it up to read the curly, elegant font on the label. **EAU DE SEX: Rub lightly on temples before bed and sit back for a titillating surprise! **

I gasped and stuffed it into the shopping basket I was carrying, along with Sleakeazy's V.I.P. _Deluxe_ Hair Potion, Hex-A-Blemish, LashGro Balm, and Witch's Sunless Tanning Solution. Then I followed close behind Ginny to whisper an urgent question in her ear.

"What is _this_?" I asked, covertly but frantically pointing to the pink bottle sitting in my basket. Ginny peeked over her shoulder into my cart of potions and smirked devilishly.

"Oh, you'll see," she taunted. I frowned. "Hermione. Come on, it's the day before school, let's go meet up with the boys and convince our parents to let us get rooms at the three broomsticks-I mean we're seventeen now-adults, so they have to let us…Oooh-there's no one in line to be rung up! Let's GO!" Ginny ran breathlessly towards the front of the store. I shrugged, not putting back the mysterious potion and followed suit to the counter, wondering what I had in store for me. I mean no risk equals no gain, right?


	3. Popcorn and Giggles

As soon as I stepped out of the shower, a bewitched towel embroidered with "_The Three Broomsticks_" floated from the linen shelf to wrap around me as if summoned, enveloping me with the peaceful scent of lavender. When I came out of the bathroom, Ginny was spread eagle on top of one of the inn's beds and had a huge goofy grin plastered on her face.

"I can't believe our parents let us stay at The Three Broomsticks! Being seventeen is amazing…" A sigh of happiness sounded from the middle of the bed. Cheerily, I walked over to perch myself on the edge of it and began brushing out my wet and tangled tresses.

"I know…it was really cool of them all to agree. Poor Neville, though…" I looked down at the fluffy white comforter and reached out to lay my hand against it. It was soft as silk. I cast a forlorn look at the cozy, inviting room around me. Neville's Grandmother hadn't let him join in our overnight stay at the inn. She'd been afraid he would forget many more of his school things in a different setting than home. Too bad.

"Yeah, it's a bummer he couldn't have come along." Ginny said plainly.

"Uh-huh. Hey any idea what that potion does?"

"Oh, yeah-it makes you have amazing dreams…about what mysteries lay within the pink bottle from Diagon Alley. Ha-ha!" Ginny taunted.

"Ugh! You insufferable little witch! Come on-tell me. I _bought_ it for goodness' sake!" With a sort of frustrating adrenaline coursing through me, I ran over to my still unpacked shopping bags and retrieved the pink potion from the beautifying potions shop. I uncorked it and dabbed a bit on my fingertips and then trudged determinedly back to the bed, almost tripping over a chair-admittedly, my brain was a bit foggy. I scooted myself up by Ginny and half-lay against the pillows, readying my potion-covered fingertips at my temples.

"I'll _do_ it," I threatened. Ginny bit back her lip, trying to suppress a giggle. Then her eyes lit up with a mischievous glint.

"Hold on. Stay right there." Then the redhead flew off the bed and grabbed something from her trunk, back turned. Ginny fumbled a bit and I saw her take out her wand and whisper a spell. Ginny scampered back to the bed, bringing with her a large tin of something and her wand. The container was as big as a bucket and for a moment, as Ginny took off the top, I feared for my life. I relaxed when, with a flourish, she removed the lid completely and nothing came jumping out. She muttered another spell, pointing to the inside of the tin and I waited a second before I heard a series of popping noises erupt from the contents. Small masses of something fluffy and white appeared in the tin, mounding over the top.

"_Popcorn_? Really, Ginny?" I sat, incredulous against the pillows, fingers still poised above the sides of my forehead.

"You can do it now." Ginny began stuffing handfuls of popcorn into her mouth gleefully.

With that, I tackled her, grabbing the potion bottle in one hand and gripping her shoulders with the other in an attempt to get my hands near her temples. I was gonna find out what this damn potion did. End. Of. Story. With a squeal, Ginny wriggled her tiny frame out from my grasp and bolted across the room to the doorway, still clutching her tin of popcorn. She escaped in a flash, darting out in the hallway, running while still filling her mouth with popcorn. I was close behind, Eau de Sex in hand.

"You're gonna choke, lady! Stop running-you can't hide from Eau de Sex!" I sprinted after Ginny as she giggled like a madwoman, running in zigzags down the dark hallways of the inn. She hooked a left and I sped up.

"Aaaeeeeeh!" I heard her scream as she flew across the wood floor in her sock-feet. A door opened nearby.

"Ur gonna _die_!" I exclaimed in the most hoarse, creepy, and horror movie-like voice I could conjure. Soon, I was joining in Ginny's diabolical laughing as my road-runner feet crunched and grinded her popcorn trail into bits.

Without warning, she ran right into Harry, who had come out with Ron into the corridor to see what the ruckus was all about. Instantly, her game plan changed and she decided to use Harry as a shield, grabbing his arms from behind and placing him directly in front of her. Ron's face was a hysterical contortion of confusion and befuddlement. To rebuttal her strategic advantage, I formed a brilliant scheme of my own and put it into action. Without hesitation, I pushed Ron into Harry and his mouth opened for a yell of surprise but turned into a grunt as he collided with everyone and knocked them down. He lay, crumpled, on top of Harry, Harry on top of Ginny, and Ginny gasping for breath underneath it all, trying to get a hold of her popcorn bin which lay turned on its side, popcorn spilling out.

I grabbed her tin of popcorn and ran crazily, into Harry and Ron's room nearby, flailing my arms and waving the popcorn and potion around wildly. Ginny was on me like butter on bread, wrestling the popcorn from my hands. It turned into a struggle, with limbs-a flying and intense headlocks before Harry started forward, attempting to quell the confusing wrestling match.

"Is there a _problem_?" croaked a voice from the doorway. Tom the innkeeper stood with a broom and popcorn filled dustpan, face purple and swollen with rage. A vein at his temple throbbed threateningly-much like Uncle Vernon, Harry noted. Ginny and I sat up straight and forced fake innocent smiles on our faces. I put the popcorn in my lap and stuffed the potion in one of my slippers. Tom zeroed in on us girls and I took a tentative fistful of popcorn and shoved it in my mouth, hoping to avoid confrontation.

"Er-no…kind, _kind_ sir. We were just getting ready for bed," Ginny piped up nervously. Tom gave a warning snort and started shaking his head in disapproval. Then with the slam of the door, we were alone. There were so many odd things that went on at the Three Broomsticks, it took a lot to get you kicked out. Still, popcorn littered the floor and he wasn't happy about it.

We didn't let Tom ruin our fun, though. Soon, Ginny and I were breathless with giggles, laughing until long after the boys had gone to sleep. When we dragged ourselves back to our room, exhausted, I had no energy to change into my jam-jams. I fell asleep on the spot, sprawled out on the second, untouched bed still in my towel and still smiling.

The next day, I awoke to our wake-up call: a young house-elf dressed in the fabric of a stuffing-less chair cushion.

"It is time for waking up, miss!" the house-elf squeaked. "The sun is out and the Hogwarts train is arriving very, very soon!"

I stumbled out of bed, still sore from the wrestling match with Ginny. Tugging my towel tighter around me, I grabbed my new potions and clothes and dragged them into the bathroom. It was time to complete my transformation. If I was going to be a different Hermione-I needed to show it-and the best way to do that would be to look and feel my best on my first day back. With finality, I looked at my reflection in the mirror and put my determined face on, repeating the mantra that had helped me so many times before. _You are the new, confident, beautiful Hermione. You can do anything. Confident, beautiful, Strong._ And after a long inspection of my tangled hair and paler-than-wanted complexion, I got to work.

Witch's Sunless Tanning Solution and Hex-A-Blemish worked miracles on my skin. I was now golden bronzed, as if I had spent the whole summer outside. My body glittered with sunlit tones of perfection and the skin-clearing potion made it flawless. The LashGro Balm was a little trickier: even though it was applied in mascara form, the under-eye lashes needed careful attention, as applying too much of it would make the bottom lashes way too long. In the end, though, I spent a little extra time and ended up with something close to amazing. My eyes, a green-blue, turned out very beachy, the new luscious lashes transforming the normally drab colors into sea stormy hues; I was happily surprised.

The only thing left was an outfit and hair. After checking my watch, I clambered over to Ginny's still sleeping form and woke her up more forcefully, basically dragging her to the shower. While she got the sleepiness out of her eyes in the tub, I continued getting ready. Without further ado, I coated my scraggly hair evenly with the new and improved version of Sleakeazy's Hair Potion and watched as my hair went from tangled, matted curls to shining tendrils of voluminous sexy. Satisfied with my appearance, I pulled forth the bag of clothing items and picked out my change of clothes and uniform I would bring with me on the train.

Only twenty-five minutes before the train arrived, Ginny came out of the bathroom, ready to go. She looked gorgeous in the mauve sundress I had gotten her the night prior and her hair was pinned up into a loose chignon.

"Wow." I said, appraising Ginny with a wink. "You look like a total hottie, Ms. Weasely."

"Tell me about it. You almost look better than me." She winked back and then gave me a high five as we pulled our trunks out into the corridor so that Tom could come bewitch them into a cab for us. I looked down at the outfit I had chosen. I wore my favorite pair of shorts with blue flats and a cute top I had found last night.

Less than a half-hour later, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and I all climbed onto the Hogwarts express and waved goodbye to our parents and our last summer of innocence. My moms shining white teeth glinting as she smiled and blew kisses at me from the station were engrained in my mind as we found our way to a compartment. _Ah_. Hogwarts at last.


	4. Kiss Me Not

The train rumbled and rocked along the tracks as I walked down the aisle, looking for a compartment. They all seemed to be rather full, and I knew, as I spotted the end of the train where the Slytherins normally reigned, that we had spent too long waving goodbye. There were only a few compartments left that were empty and they were all in the proximity of the two end ones where Draco sat with his cronies. I sighed, dreading this particular voyage to Hogwarts. It was going to be a long ride if we had to put up with shithead Malfoy the whole way. With the off-chance that Harry had gone ahead and found an alright spot, hope stoked a teensy weensy bit of warmth back into my soul. But it dwindled and died instantly when I realized I hadn't spotted him yet. I glanced back, where Ginny, Ron and Neville were a few feet behind me, squabbling over who they predicted the head boy and girl would be this year.

"Bet Pansy Parkinson's been made head girl, with my luck!" Neville declared, throwing his arms out with exaggeration. Ginny snickered and proceeded to capture Neville's head in a violent noogie.

"Oh, I'm sure your luck isn't _that_ bad!" She yelled, waiting a moment before releasing him from torture. Neville popped up, flustered at the strange feeling of his neat side-part being askew for once.

"Found the compartment, children." I slipped into a nearby compartment that was considered top-notch. It's inhabitants had moved to other seats moments before I spotted it. Nodding in satisfaction, I surveyed the tiny nook. Only a few old pieces of parchment littered the floor and the window wasn't stuck open like some of the others. The ol' Hogwarts Express was due for some sprucing up. However, we'd only all sat down for three seconds before realizing with exasperation that something was missing.

"Where's Harry _this_ time?" Ginny fumed. Neville opened the compartment door to take a gander outside.

"Don't bother, Neville. He's probably spying on Malfoy again. I'll go check it out." Quickly, I got up, planning to investigate the likely invisibility cloak-veiled mischief-making going on near (without a doubt) a Slytherin compartment. But no sooner had I stood than Draco Malfoy graced us with his presence, blocking the entrance to the compartment. He sneered his menacing smirk at Neville and Ginny, letting it's rays of snobbishness penetrate them. Then he turned to Ron and all-out frowned in disgust.

"Weasley-you got two girlfriends now? Better be careful. Can't afford to take _both_ of them on a date." Ron almost lunged at him but not before Malfoy got his first good, hard look at me. The hated Slytherin's demeanor completely changed and he pushed Ron away as he stepped forward. "Well, well, well. We've got a new student, have we? I'm Draco Malfoy and I'm sure _you're_ lost. Come join me in _my_ compartment...I can assure you that this lot," and he motioned to my friends " do not in any way represent the manners, nor wallet of the other students." He then had the balls to stretch out his grubby pure-blood hands towards me (though he was considered a male god among women in the school as far as...ahem...so my heart did give a little extra pitter-patter) and took my hand. With that, he gave it a little peck and I recoiled, bringing my hand back under my own control faster than you could say "Avada Kadrava!" and gave him a good slap across the face. It sounded with a smack that I'm sure reverberated off the walls and back into my ears because the sound seemed to echo back to me. _SMACK, smack! smack_...

"Malfoy!" I spat. "Didn't think _you'd_ dropped to the level of kissing mudbloods! Have you come to tell us you made Head girl? If so-you can kindly drop dead-And don't EVER kiss me again!" The last part I said in a whisper-only inches from his face. Boy, did I ever catch the fleeting glimpse of confusion that ran across his face.

"Alright, little vixen-I know how to play hard-to-get. But I'll find out who you are and then we'll see." I stared at him as he turned and left, unbelieving. He still didn't know who I was? Oh. This was gonna be fun. So. Much. Fun. My friends and I were going to remember this year for-fucking-ever. That's for sure.

Hogwarts was only fifteen minutes away when I finally had my new robes on, my prefect badge pinned on the collar across from where my name was magically engraved into the fabric under the standard logo. When I appeared back with my friends in the compartment, they noticed the badge instantly. Exclamations of "You're so lucky!" and "I should have known!" and "Damn, those robes look good-Malfoy will pee his pants when he sees you again!" bombarded me from all angles. Harry had finally shown up with a mysterious glint in his eyes and then we'd filled him in on the Malfoy incident. Ron, Harry, and I had been scheming ever since and I beamed at their support-not to mention their brilliant minds. Malfoy was gonna get it for every despicable time he had called me a mudblood. He'd be crawling on his knees, begging for my forgiveness by the time end of the year exams came around. Right-o.


	5. A Malfoy Mystery

"Firs' years! Over here!" Hagrid yelled. Hogsmeade station was filled with groups of Hogwarts students, all biding their time on the dark platform before they could see Hogwarts again. Six of the groups stood coolly, waiting for the carriages and the other group could only be recognized as a horde of skittish first years inching their little legs towards Hagrid.

Ginny, Ron, Neville, and Harry were allowed to travel through the gates in a carriage by themselves. I, however, was expected to ride in a carriage with the other prefects and the Head Boy and Girl. With a sigh, I stood alone at the station, watching the unsorted students gliding across the lake in their miniature boats. The sky was steadily darkening and it began to rain as the other prefects joined me in wait. Hair dampened, I peered through my dew-dropped eyelashes at the others around me. I was Gryffindor prefect, of course-and it looked as though Zacharias Smith was chosen for Hufflepuff. Just barely, could I make out the dark figure of Padma Patil on the other side of a lamp post, talking to him. She was one of the smartest in Ravenclaw, no doubt. She definitely deserved to be their prefect. The last prefect was a mystery. Standing far off from everybody else, a lone figure leaned against one of the ticket booths. I wondered who it was. Unfortunately, the measly pools of light emanating from the dim lamps at the station didn't penetrate through the mist and rain nearly enough for me to make them out. But they were Slytherin anyways. Who cares, really? Not me...But when the figure moved forward at the sight of Dumbledore walking towards us, I did care who it was. Because I hadn't counted on it being stupid, bratty Malfoy.

I inhaled unhappily at the sight of him. Rain was pouring down now and it really put a damper on my mood that I was within ten feet of him. However, there was no Head Boy or Girl walking alongside Dumbledore, and it was obvious he was a bit annoyed. I perked up to listen to what he had to say-as I did with all teachers.

"Hello, prefects. Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I would introduce you to the Head Boy and Girl but they are not here. Both, like many students, have been pulled from school by their parents this term." Frantic whispering between Padma and Zacharias commenced at once. On the other hand, Draco stood, staring at Dumbledore without any hint of surprise. I wasn't wholly shocked at this news, either. The Daily Prophet had released a number of charming articles this summer about You-Know-Who and how he could be on the rise again, back for the worst and most horrid scheme he had yet. There were rumors, also, that this new plot involved planning to pick off each and every student at Hogwarts one by one. All, that is, except for Death Eaters. Like Malfoy, for instance.

"Therefore, there will be a vote taking place among peers and professors alike in order to find suitable replacements. You four alone, as prefects, will be eligible. Note that as Head Boy or Head Girl, you will need to carry out the duties of a prefect also, as technically you will be both for the time being. Do you have any questions?" Everyone answered with silence and then Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Two 'o clock pm tomorrow, we will all meet in the Great Hall to announce the results. Now, come along." Dumbledore motioned for us to get out of the rain and steered us over to a carriage. He gave me a wink that I was sure meant "Good Luck!" and helped me up. I was glad to get in and out of the rain. Watching from the tiny carriage window, I saw Fawkes soar out of the sky down where the Headmaster stood. His long wings skimmed the ground as he swooped down with his graceful claws, seized Dumbledore by the back of his robes, and began flying back to the castle at full speed, Professor in tow. I heard ferret-boy chuckle as he, too, watched Dumbledore being carried away. He was leaning in much to close, looking out _my_ window. I let him feel the wrath of my unyielding gaze of hatred until he backed away, his face unsmiling. I busied myself with the window again. The view of Hogwarts in a shower was mystifying. Candles in each window made the castle look welcoming and I couldn't wait to get inside, join the sorting ceremony, and tell Ron and Harry about the voting. I wasn't excited, however, that I had to sit next to a particularly dreary Slytherin on the way there.

Harry and Ron were enthusiastic and eager at the chance of me becoming Head Girl. They began conspiring about what kind of parties they might throw in the prefect's bathroom and the Head's Common room, which everyone knew to be luxurious and with expensive taste. I shook my head, appalled at some of their ideas.

"I wonder if we could fill the bathroom with bubbles for a foam party?" Ron brainstormed.

"Ugh. Everyone would trip into the pool-sized tub…though we could fill it with water…" Ron gave Harry a thumbs-up and they exchanged secretive looks.

"Are you mad? We can't fill the room with bubbles and then have people drowning!" I threw them a glance that you might use when regarding someone in a straitjacket.

"It's okay, Mione, you'll be really, really drunk." Ron said under his breath.

"WHAT?" But I couldn't be heard over the boys' giggles and laughter. I got up to go back to the dormitories early but not before I caught Fred and George eying me with hopeful glee and trotting over to cook up more schemes with Harry and Ron. Stupid boys. Or were they? I wondered about how I had reacted as I walked up a longer than normal staircase. My whole life had been filled with rules, rules, and more rules. Not to mention being called a mudblood or a know-it-all. Wouldn't becoming Head Girl be my chance to give new Hermione a try? It certainly would teach Malfoy and his lot not to mess around with me if they weren't invited to the most fantastic party of the year. And if Malfoy claimed Head Boy-well all the better to torment him. I mean, many reputable witches and wizards had used the term "keep your friends close and your enemies closer."so maybe I should too. I could be daring and tough...and basically bad-ass my way through anything! Oh, yeah. I could definitely see that. I smiled as I entered the Gryffindor common room. Ron, Harry, Fred, and George would get what they wanted. And so would I.

****Please R&R because then the chapters will come flowing in! And remember that I don't know what you think about my story/writing if you don't review. Is it bad, good, horrible, tacky? Let me know:D


	6. Slumber, Interrupted

Later that night, Harry and everyone arrived at the cozy Gryffindor common room, babbling and joking loudly. They stopped suddenly when they spotted me, awake in one of the armchairs. Surprise was written all over their faces. Astoundingly enough, I wasn't doing any of my normal activities like reading or making a to-do list and I sat quietly, giving them a second to enjoy the odd scene before them.

"Hey." I said in what I thought was a suave, mysterious tone. I frowned upon thinking that I may be missing a robe and wine glass to finish my portrayal of smooth sophistication. Oh, well. The cluster of my apparent invalid friends scuttled forward a bit, ready to react to my impressive out of character-ness, for sure.

"WOW. Hermione-are you doing what I think you're doing?" George jumped into the chair and onto my lap as if he weighed five pounds.

"Ouch! Yeah that's right. I'm doing nothing. Well, actually I was waiting for you guys… I have a little proposal to make." I tried to grin mischievously. Ginny tilted her head, inspecting my expression.

"You okay, Hermione? Either you've got cramps or that's a sneaky grin on your face!" I looked at her in exasperation._ Sneaky grin!_ I mouthed. She got the hint quickly and nodded. "So. What's your proposal?" Ginny said nonchalantly, as if she didn't know I was up to something. I pushed George off my lap with a mighty "Oomph!" and got up to pace around the room and think a bit. George was too curious to look annoyed and he sat there on the floor, watching me intensely like the others.

"That party you guys wanted to do? What does it entail?" I looked straight at Fred, who I'm sure had come up with some wild ideas. Fred opened his mouth to speak but-for once-no words came out. Ron pretended to dig something out of his ears, thinking he may not have heard correctly. "Well?" I said. "What kind of party are you going to throw me if I make Head Girl? Out with it!" Fred's mouth began to work again as his confusion turned into excitement.

"There's going to be a disco ball in the prefect's bathroom with loads of bubbles and foam. We thought it'd be nice to have either Jell-O, mud, or some type of potion in the tub for random drunken people to enjoy and also…" Then George cut in.

"And also we thought we'd have different scented foams suspended in certain areas, bewitched so that you can sit on them or lay or snog or F…"

"-And plenty of women and Butterbeer!" Ron continued. George gave him a filthy look and took out his wand.

"_Mobilicorpus!" _George yelled at the top of his lungs. Ron disappeared out of the room in an instant, leaving behind only an odd suction sound and one of his shoes. He and had no doubt been moved somewhere else-as the spell permits-probably in the girls bathroom or something equally horrifying. George started laughing.

"Where'd you put him this time, little brother?" Fred asked, picking up Ron's shoe.

"Ah, well-I may or may not have put him somewhere a little more-er...comfortable. Thought you'd have guessed by _now_. Must be too hard for a wee tot, like you. Need I remind you that I was born first?" Fred responded by looking utterly offended and unclasped his robes in time to get the advantage on his twin in a wrestling frenzy. The boys fell to the floor, rolling around and grunting with effort as they both tried various strategies to pin the other to the ground.

Not two minutes later, we all heard someone thumping loudly up the stairs. Panic-stricken and sure we would be in trouble if we were found still up, everyone jumped behind the couches. Except for me. I grabbed a shrunken copy of _Hogwarts, A History_ (I couldn't resist) from one of my robe pockets.

"_Engorgio._" I whispered anxiously, frightened that a teacher might have actually found Ron in the girls lavatory. I wouldn't put it past Fred. Hopefully Professor McGonagall found him instead of Snape. _Hogwarts, A History_-now at its full size, lay quietly in my lap as the Fat Lady swung open with a frightening bang. I looked up, readying my most innocent, sleepy expression. Instead of Snape or Professor McGonagall, I found Dumbledore, standing beside a very grumpy and bruised Ron. Dumbledore's eyes shone brightly through his half-moon spectacles as he surveyed the room, moving his eyes right over me and to the couch where all my friends hid.

"_Aguamenti_._" _ A jet of water poured from Dumbledore's wand to the other side of the sofa and four simultaneous screams arose from the spot. Harry, Fred, George, and Ginny all shot up dripping and soaked through. When they noticed Dumbledore, they tried not to giggle. He was wearing a magenta-colored nightgown with matching fuzzy bunny slippers. Only _he_ could pull it off, Harry thought with a smile. Ron scowled at them through a black eye. It looked as though he might've gotten it recently, for no one remembered it being there before. I wondered where on earth George put him. In the silence, Dumbledore coughed and they stood up straight, eying him with half-apprehension, half-tears of laughter threatening to burst forth. "Good evening. It seems, you may have lost your friend here." He looked down at Ron pointedly. "Because I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when I closed the curtains around my bed and found myself not quite alone. Intruders can certainly catch you off guard so I would advise that you not lose any of your peers again." Dumbedore stared at Fred and George with a penetrating glare. Then, with a swish of his wand, the black eye he had obviously given Ron vanished and he turned to leave. Ron watched him leave through the portrait hole, waited until he heard a popping sound that was Dumbledore apparating and then pivoted around to face George.

"YOU STUPID PRAT! YOU MADE DUMBLEDORE GIVE ME A BLOODY BLACK EYE!" Ron screamed and jumped at George but Harry ran forward in time to restrain him. George then walked away, waving a little good-bye as he started up the stairs.

"Well, I wouldn't say it was _bloody_." George teased as he slammed the boys dormitory door. Ron slumped to the ground in surrender.

"Right foul git, he is. Dumbledore was scared out of his panties! Not to mention I had absolutely no bloody clue where I was." Ron pouted and drew his knees up to his chest. I tried to think of something cheerful to say.

"Don't you worry, Ron. When I'm Head Girl-we'll get him back. And we still have a party to plan." At that, Ron smirked devilishly.

"Go get the invisibility cloak, Harry." We exchanged wordless glances and the sneakiness was on. I mean, what would our first night at Hogwarts be if we didn't prowl the night with the invisibility cloak? Ginny and Fred, who were in deep conversation at that point about how much better clothes would look if they were _always_ wet, didn't notice when Ron, Harry, and I snuck up to the boy's dormitory and one minute later, when the portrait hole swung open, seemingly of its own accord.

****R&R and I'll write & write!


	7. Chemistry Class

****_I'm so sorry for not updating sooner! I've had this waiting to be uploaded for a while and my internet wasn't working:( Still, it's a longer chapter so hope you enjoy! _

Early the next day, bright beams of sunlight broke through my burgundy curtains-one poking me straight in the eye with its morning splendor. I groaned heavily and stuffed a pillow so violently over my face that I got a mouthful of feathers. Ugh. Not my day. Yawning, I rolled over, snuggling deeper into my blankets with sleepy finality-I mean, it wasn't even six o' clock! Then I remembered: Hogwarts! School! _Learning!,_ and quickly hurtled myself through the bed-drapes like a giddy schoolgirl. Which I was. Anyways, I had no time to lose-I would grab my robes, some toast, hit the library, and brush up on all my subjects before classes even began! I rushed around picking up my bag and throwing on the first set of robes I could find. Breathlessly, I flew out of the room like a dart eager to hit its target of punctuality and learning, remembering to quiz myself on questions the professors might ask. Only just half-way down the stairs to the common room, I halted.

What the hell? _Have I gone mental?_ I hadn't even gotten _ready_ for goodness' sake! This was my big debut. First day of classes and I wanted to do some…brushing up? No frigging way was I going to _brush up_ (like I'd done a thousand times in the past six years). No. I was going to look _hot_. For once, there would be no kissing up to the teachers unless I was actually kissing them. Instead, I levitated my books and bag to a common room chair below, and brought myself right back up to the dorms. Some early morning primping was highly over-due.

Meanwhile, over in the Slytherin boys' dormitories, a certain blond-headed wizard was on his bed, sitting up and awake. In fact, Draco Malfoy had been up for hours clutching a tiny eyelash. He looked down at it longingly as it lay innocent and minuscule in his large, tanned palm. It belonged to a certain new student-a mystery girl he hadn't seen since he'd arrived.

"We're going to find out who you are." Draco whispered to the lash, ridiculously(everyone knows that eyelashes don't speak _English!_). He gazed at the LashGro-induced specimen and sighed wearily._ Best to stop wasting time and get on with it_, Draco thought. Closing his fist protectively, the eager boy leaned over the bedside and grabbed a tiny vial from his schoolbag. It was a complex potion, much like veritaserum, only it revealed anything about one particular person using one part DNA, one part potion, and one part incantation. With bated breath, Malfoy uncorked the little vial of potion and dropped in the eyelash. Instantly, the eyelash disintegrated into the dark green liquid and a wisp of smoke rose from the tube, signifying its readiness for the words that would allow Draco to ask any question of the lash's owner. Wand at the ready, he muttered the spell and fiery words erupted from his wand as he thought of the question that had been dwelling in the forefront of his mind: "_WHO IS SHE?"_

The potion swirled a bit and then a humming sound occurred as the liquid's color turned into a light lilac. Freshly mowed grass and new parchment paper smell wafted towards Draco as he stared in anticipation. Words, as if etched into his mind, appeared inside his head as clear as day.

"_HERMIONE GRANGER._" With that, the Slytherin scoffed and folded his arms. No way was it Granger. He must have picked up an eyelash that belonged to the mudblood instead of the gorgeous beauty he'd seen in the compartment. Hell, she'd been sitting with Weasley and Longbottom-buck-toothed, know-it-all Granger must have been close by. He focused in on the now shimmering purple liquid that was steaming heavily, evaporating right before his eyes. Damn it. There wasn't enough left to try again. He'd have to acquire something from the actual girl this time and steal another vial from Professor Snape's office.

Disappointed once again by his love-life, Draco walked over to the full length mirror he'd installed on the wall and flexed. Summer had done him a lot of good. His recently achieved tan, crest-worthy smile, and new sexy-but-messy haircut had awarded him more looks than usual. Too bad he wanted mystery-girl. Too bad his killer body was all he had for now, while he unraveled that mystery. Then Draco smiled. _All_ he had? He definitely had more than good looks…even though that alone was enough do drop the panties off the prudest prude in Hogwarts. With a knee-knocking smile, he went to the dresser and pulled on some jeans. Time to get ready for the big day. After all, a prefect needed to look their best…

Back in Gryffindor tower, Ginny descended the stairs to the common room humming the theme-song to One Tree Hill and spotted Hermione looking at her from one of the red plush armchairs. She stopped then-the second person this morning to halt half-way down the steps-and her jaw dropped.

"_Hermione!_" Ginny declared. I had my feet up on the coffee table, but I'm not sure that was why she was taken aback. It could have been my outfit. I'd spent twenty whole minutes picking it out. As she gazed, I looked myself over for any wardrobe malfunctions. I found none and decided I quite liked the results of my fashion sense; Black traveler's boots crept up my calves to meet a very cute gray vintage mini-skirt and a quarter length sleeve dress-shirt in baby-boy blue. My hair was something else, entirely. Its blonde locks had been straightened into a sleek punk rocker hair-do that was drop-dead sexy. Finished off with some eyeliner and spank-me-pink lip gloss, I was ready to be devoured by the eyes of every boy in school. Not to mention-voted for prefect.

Ginny had cleaned up like a super star herself. Donning a leather jacket and cut-off shorts really balanced out her soft natural looks. She had decided to wear her hair in a ponytail with loose strands framing her high cheekbones and killer eyes. I noted that with our combined looks and brains-we were a pair to be reckoned with. Ginny grinned like the recently admitted insane asylum patient she was and flounced over to sit on the arm of my chair.

Later, we made a point to walk down to the Great Hall together. I never could imagine the reactions we would get. Like always, gaggles of underclassmen gawked at Ginny with awe as we passed. But when we had made our way down the grand staircase to enter the hall, a few members of the male population got a look at me and I swear I saw them run desperately down the corridor in the direction of the boy's bathroom. Susan Bones and her friends stood waiting to enter the hall, just like us. It was obvious that the group of plain looking Hufflepuffs had attempted to look good on their first day back. But what a failed attempt it was. I caught a glimpse of a few ribbons here and there and grandmother's lipstick adorned on a frowny pair of lips as they all glared at Ginny and I. Normally, I was on quite good terms with them. I tried to wave at Susan and received a surprising hand gesture in response.

"What the hell's wrong with Susan?" I whispered to Ginny. She turned from a conversation she was having with a devastatingly handsome Ravenclaw boy to regard the situation before me. She giggled as she gave the Hufflepuff gang a once over.

"Oh, didn't you know? She envies you! You'll get used to it." I frowned immediately. I hadn't planned on this. Sure, I thought I'd get guys' attention. But I didn't want girls' attention-_negative_ girls' attention. Never in my life had I ever had any girl enemies. I sighed as I scanned my remarkably pirate-like boots. I supposed that they disliked me probably because before now I wasn't a threat: the ugly-duckling gal pal that you could take anywhere and feel better about yourself. What a shame I wasn't the ugly duckling anymore! Uncontrollably, I felt an impulse to do something reckless-a feeling I was very good at ignoring. With a last sly grin at my boots, I let the impulse flow. Snapping my head back up, I looked at Susan Bones and mouthed "_Up yours._" No one was going to mess with me. The rancid little Hufflepukes could vote for whoever they wanted.

Suddenly, I was knocked into a boy behind me as one of Susan Bones' friends walked by, shouldering me with super-human girl strength. Without time to react, I caught myself with my hands which, in turn, were caught by a hard, lean chest. My heart began to hammer against my ribs like a tribal drum roll. I hadn't been this close to a boy since slow-dancing with Victor Krum. Electricity conjured itself from an unknown source and zinged all over my body, making a full 80 bazillion circuits through every arm, leg, and appendage all at once. Goosebumps spread like wild fire across my skin as the boy answered my intruding presence with a strong hand at my arm, holding me up.

"Hello." Said a familiar drawl. I looked up at the face of my rescuer with hardly contained panic. Malfoy was there, staring me down with his stormy gray eyes and holding me in place with their intensity. They seemed to be searching me, not just outside but inside too. His gaze left no place untouched and I squirmed uncomfortably under it, trying to escape the heat that seemed to be boiling in the pit of my stomach. My legs wobbled in their boots for a second and then he finally stepped away from me, letting my head clear. I exhaled a flustered, heaving breath. Moron. I hadn't known he had such power over women. Startlingly, I was beginning to realize the legacy of Draco Malfoy. Not that I liked it. Uh-uh. He wouldn't be enjoying it much longer, I thought, as the famous Slytherin kept his eyes on me. I opened my mouth to speak aloud a certain witty insult but it was shortly forgotten as ferret-boy slipped into my personal bubble once more. With nearly a foot and a half advantage to my 5'2 frame, I gasped in terror as he swept down and poised his lips right above my ear. His cool breath tickled the sensitive spot as he whispered something quietly so no one else could hear.

"Who are you?"

"I-…" I said nothing, too distracted by my mortal enemy's unwanted proximity. Then Ginny looked over, taking in the picture of me, trapped between a crowd and the evil Malfoy. In a second flat, she had begun to push her way closer to me, for her socializing had brought her to the other side of the entrance hall.

"Hermione Granger!" Ginny yelled towards me, alerting everyone who she was going for. Draco turned his head to the right, searching for "Hermione". Then, slowly, his eyes swiveled, landing on first my boots, then skirt, then face. And he stood there, studying me for a while. Then his expression went hard. He _knew_.


	8. New Teacher and New Zealand

"_Granger_." Malfoy's voice was full of contempt. "You're…but." He ran a hand through his hair, obviously frustrated at his sudden and unexpected dose of humility. I smiled. For once the legendary Slytherin pure-blood was lost for words. I hoped this went down in _Hogwarts, a History_. Wait-was that a new haircut? My eyes shot upwards to his new, admittedly sexy do. It reminded me of the luxurious hair an armored-knight might have, that he would certainly shake out sensually as he removed his helmet and dismounted his noble steed…my mind drifted off into another place for a moment. Then I remembered where I was and who I was standing very close to, still. Stepping away from him, I put on my best face of disapproval and folded my arms.

"What's the problem Malfoy-can't keep your hands off me?" Ugh. What was it with me and my recklessness today-did I just say what I think I said? Suddenly, the doors to the Great Hall opened magically as always-at seven-thirty sharp. But, very unusually, no one was rushing in, gossiping and chattering excitedly about what their schedules would be like. For, everyone had suddenly become very interested in the new beautiful girl who was telling off Draco. The same thought was running through everyone's mind: _Had he just called her Granger?_ I kept my eyes peeled to the boy across from me.

Malfoy had recovered a bit from his earlier temporary forgetfulness about the English language and gave an award-winning sneer.

"No-actually, I'm just glad you finally discovered proper clothing. Too bad you're still a know-it-all mudblood, or I might just let you shine my shoes." He brushed a bit of invisible dirt from his white-uniform dress-shirt and began to walk towards the hall, shouldering me as he passed. Once more, I began to fall-but this time nothing caught it and I dropped to the ground. Ouch! I'd scraped my knee a bit on the stone and a nice rock-floor burn was the little souvenir I got. Ginny rushed forward from the crowd of people and helped me up.

"Damn Purebloods." I said, gritting my teeth as I brushed off my knees.

"Of course, Hermione. He's Evil and we're Good. That's just the way it is." Ginny turned me to face her as we crossed the threshold of the Great Hall. "And sometimes, Good triumphs over Evil." She smiled encouragingly and I sighed. It certainly didn't seem like there was very much triumph when it came to overtaking Evil. I mean, the bloody people were _so damn persistent_. How could there be triumph when all of us do-gooders couldn't even go to the bathroom without getting pranked, hexed, or insulted? I came to the conclusion that it must be the reason Gryffindors always traveled in packs. Especially women. It was probably the same reason Malfoy could prowl the halls alone and I was scared shitless with two other boys and the invisibility cloak.

Finally, I joined Ginny at the house table for breakfast. With a distracted exhalation, I scooped up some toast and fruit on my plate. I had just popped a grape in my mouth when Harry basically jumped up to applause something in the direction of all the staff. _Dumbledore!_ He mouthed to me excitedly, pointing at the jolly old geezer standing up front to give us all a speech about something. I laughed. Harry must know some kind of exciting news that everyone just now gets to hear. Dumbledore always told him everything first. Not as distracted (I'd decided Malfoy couldn't ruin my day), I took a big bite of toast and then put a cold crisp piece of strawberry in my mouth, savoring it as I turned my attention over to the headmaster-who was clearing his throat to get everyone else to listen up.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to your first day back." His eyes glinted around at all the students. Even the Slytherins were looking. "We have a few new developments here at the school. Firstly, our recently appointed Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Ashland." He motioned to a figure to his right, sitting at the staff table and donning gray-blue silk robes. When he stood up for us to smile and give a nod of greeting, I got a better look. What I saw took my breath away. He was no older than twenty-probably graduated only a few years ago-and he was the most gorgeous man I had ever laid my eyes upon. Thick, brown hair framed his handsome face and was flourished with a cowlick that landed a few strands of silky hair over his bright blue eyes. He had a very cute side smile and broad shoulders that accentuated his height-I pegged him at about 6'4. Dreamily, I wondered when my eighteenth birthday was and thought about running my fingers through his luscious locks. I think I was drooling a bit before I actually came to. Ginny winked at me from across the table and then leaned over to Parvati on her left to engage in an out-loud fantasy brainstorming session involving the new teacher and a dark corner of the forbidden forest.

I looked back up at the new teacher, who was talking to professor McGonagall at the staff table. Professor McGonagall was blushing profusely. It seemed that Professor Ashland was a close-talker. And boy was he good at it. Wisps of hair fell over the teachers face, his eyes daring and adventurous and exciting, as if he was about to kiss good old Minerva. Lucky old coot. I wished I was her just about then. All of a sudden, there was another clearing of the throat that sounded out into the room as Dumbledore waited patiently for everyone to stop whispering.

"Secondly, I would like to inform you that you will soon be sharing your dorms with some other students. Next week, we will be starting our Bi-Centennial School-Unity Achievements. What this means is that another school will be coming to visit us so that we may get to know them and bring our schools together. Chatham College of Magick will be joining us from New Zealand and I hope you will make them all feel welcome. They are to be staying with us for the rest of the year, and are going to attend classes with you, as well. Just as with the Triwizard Tournament, there will also be a unifying ball approaching. Formal dress is mandatory for this occasion. I am expecting the utmost respect and decorum towards our visitors when they arrive...Try to contain your excitement." He beamed at the students who were now practically yelling over each other in enthusiasm. After a few moments, the flutter of a thousand owl wings sounded over the talking and screaming, however. "Ah, the schedules," Dumbledore said, enlighteningly. Then with a billowing of moon and star-bedazzled robes, he went to sit down and look upon the hectic scene with a slightly motherly sense of endearment.

A rather dark, tawny owl dropped a folded piece of paper onto my lap and I pulled it open violently, hoping upon hope that I had gotten double Defense Against the Dark Arts instead of potions. This was the perfect year for teacher-seduction. I scanned my schedule in anticipation.

_**Hermione Granger **_

_Seventh Year_

_Gryffindor House_

_Monday, Wednesday, and Friday_

_Transfiguration_

_Potions_

_Free Period_

_Herbology_

_Lunch_

_Free Period_

_Double Defense Against the Dark Arts (No class Wednesday)_

_Astronomy (Wednesday at Midnight)_

_Tuesday and Thursday_

_Charms_

_History of Magic_

_Free Period_

_Care of Magical Creatures_

_Lunch_

_Free Period_

_Art_

"YES!" I cried when I spotted Double Defense Against the Dark Arts-and I was also glad to see that my request for Art had been taken. There was definitely some need in my life for getting my emotions out-even if it had to be on canvas. Ginny stretched across the table to compare hers with mine. Everything was the same except for art class. Instead, she was taking Muggle Studies (Mr. Weasley probably forced it upon her). I looked at Ron's and it was the same as Ginny's. The only people who seemed to be taking the art class were Fred and George who would most likely be using that class to plan their next "invention".

Finally, the bell rang. Ginny and I rushed to the door to get to our first class. Unfortunately, though, everyone else was thinking the same thing and soon the doorway of the Great Hall was jam-packed with tons of students. A kind of mosh-pit formed until Professor Ashland came to help the students go through in an orderly fashion. He had the Gryffindors, Slytherins, and all the other houses line up. Then he let them go in alphabetical order. First Gryffindor (isn't he awesome?), then Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and lastly, Slytherin filed out of the room. Slytherins were huffing and puffing, running to their classes by the time they got to go and Ginny and I giggled from our seats in transfiguration as Pansy Parkinson went running so hard past our door that she tripped and spilled the whole contents of her bag on the floor.

"Ahem. Ladies!" Professor McGonagall gave us a stern look as she started the class. "Today, we will be turning small gems into red velvet cupcakes. If your cupcake is missing it's cream cheese frosting, the cake color is blue, yellow, or green, or if it is missing its baking sleeve, five points will be deducted from your class effort grade. However, if the cupcake has sprinkles, or is warm, then that person will have no homework tonight…"


End file.
